Never forget that we live in the best of times

There has been much to mourn in 2016 but by almost every measure the world is becoming wealthier and fairer

This has been, by common consent, the year of scary monsters and super creeps. Donald Trump is a frightening prospect as president of the United States, the first holder of that office who appears not to respect it. The European Union referendum campaign was galvanised by the least appealing people in public life which, despite their own fevered excitement, has made British politics terminally dull. While everyone bad was running for public office everyone good seems to have died. It has been a year watched over by a black star.

There is a surfeit of bad news in every year and politics did throw up its surprises this year, as did unforgiving mortality. Yet there is always another story which runs parallel to the sorry…